Sydney Swans chief executive Tom Harley has labelled the AFL draft’s bidding process “absolutely adequate” amid debate around possible changes coming as soon as this year.
Clubs will be informed by the league next week of any changes — and the timeline of those changes — to the current system, which has come into question following Gold Coast’s four-fold academy haul last year, as well as clubs’ easy access to father-son prospects in years gone by.
In the first round of the 2023 national draft, the Suns secured academy graduates Jed Walter (No. 3 pick), Ethan Read (No. 9), Jake Rogers (No. 14) and Will Graham (No. 26) to aid their emerging list under first-year coach Damien Hardwick.
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Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, GWS and Gold Coast are among the clubs that would be most impacted as they have access to elite talent in this year’s draft via father-sons and academies.
Harley fronted media on Wednesday and addressed recent rumblings about imminent changes.
“I think the Academies are the most important game development initiative for the growth of the game, certainly in Sydney and in Queensland,” Harley said.
“The reality is the current bidding process … I think is absolutely adequate.
“The facts remain we’ve got 25 per cent of our playing list from NSW, which means 75 per cent aren’t. The Academy has been going for 14 years and we’ve had over 5,000 boys and girls — only 24 have been drafted and half a dozen have had a career like Callum Mills.
“That’s about 0.1 per cent of players who have made it to the elite level.”
Mills, Errol Gulden, Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Braeden Campbell and Sam Wicks are some of the current Swans Academy success stories.
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Harley was opposed to moving the goalposts purely because of how the Suns were able to benefit last November.
“To make a snap judgement off of the four Gold Coast players (drafted in ‘23), which is what it feels like, I think would be really folly,” Harley continued.
“I take a different view; I’ll celebrate the fact that the Suns had a really strong Academy haul.
“And certainly, the club’s point of view from what we do and the time and energy that we invest into growing the game, I think, is recognised and needs to continue to be recognised.”